by Dr. Yusra Benhalim, 08/23/2023
I had the pleasure of recently leading a roundtable discussion on mental and behavioral health disparities, hosted by the United Health Foundation, exploring the findings from America’s Health Rankings’ Health Equity in Focus: Mental and Behavioral Health Data Brief. This data brief highlights the breadth, depth and persistence of key mental and behavioral health disparities at the national level among both adults and youth across populations — underscoring the need for action to address these concerning trends.
Hearing directly from experts, advocates and community leaders about the challenges communities are facing underscored the importance of data-driven solutions and highlighted new opportunities to work together to address mental and behavioral health disparities. As the United Health Foundation, along with leading organizations in the behavioral and mental health space, continues this critical work to combat these inequities, there are three key points to highlight from the discussion:
- Transform data into action. Identifying health challenges and opportunities to address them through data can inform policy decisions that directly affect people. We must also prioritize identifying the gaps in our data to foster representation of all populations and allow us to better understand the disparities and inequities that persist.
- One size does not fit all. Listening directly to the unique needs of different subpopulations is critical to developing equity-focused, community-based solutions. Community-defined evidence-based programs are often undervalued and underfunded despite their importance. We must ensure programs are tailored to and directly involve the populations they’re serving.
- Collaboration creates change. Facilitating open, collaborative conversations is needed to learn from others working on similar issues and to create positive, long-lasting change for people and their families. Let’s continue to foster similar dialogues among those working with vulnerable populations and those living in the communities to bring greater visibility to new ideas and ensure more voices are heard.
In reflecting on the roundtable, I am most inspired by the shared spirit of urgency in forging new partnerships and building solutions that reflect the needs, interests and values of distinct communities. We look forward to continuing to engage with these advocates and community leaders by fostering critical cross-sector discussions, grounding them in data and partnering with local changemakers to address persistent, widespread health disparities.